5 Thoughts About Pull Quotes

5 Thoughts About Pull Quotes

A common practice among many communicators who write articles or blog posts regularly is to use a pull quote to capture the reader’s attention and convey the essence of the communication. I’ve done this during my career and found feedback to range from positive to lukewarm. So I thought I’d dedicate today’s post to some observations I’ve accumulated over the years about creating a good pull quote and some ways to step outside the box with this tactic.

Highlight the Best Part of the Article
This is basically Pull Quote 101. The whole purpose of the pull quote is to highlight a meaningful part of your article – one that encapsulates the theme of the communication. Be thoughtful about which sentence or phrases you choose to spotlight. The reason I feel the need to stress this from the outset is that I’ve read articles with pull quotes that missed the mark. I recall reading them and thinking, “This would have been a much better quote than the one they used!” So be contemplative about whether the quote you picked is the most appropriate.

Feature a Famous Quote That Relates to Your Topic
Even if you have a quote within your article that summarizes your main point, there might be a quote by someone of note who captured the essence of what you want to convey. A good strategy is to find something that a famous figure who uttered a phrase that sounds better than anything you could pull out of your article (no offense!). Google quotes that relate to your topic and showcase them in your communication to draw attention.

Place Them Where They’ll Be Seen
Placement of your pull quote is important. You want to make sure it’s at the top or in the top third of the page – before the reader has to scroll. The goal is to grab the reader’s attention early so they’ll want to read the rest of the article. If you place your pull quote at the bottom or below the initial page view, you run the risk of losing the interest of your audience early.

Use Image Backgrounds
Who says that quotes have to be just plain text? If you’ve been on Facebook or Instagram for more than an hour, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of people post textual quotes with image backgrounds. It has more of an impact than plain text against a solid background. The image you choose, however, should relate in some way to the quote you include. If your phrase is inspirational, a scenic nature image would be appropriate. If it’s a quote about strength, maybe an athlete. The point is to be thoughtful about the image you use.

GIFs?
Again, if you’re on Facebook nowadays, you might have seen an animated GIF from time to time. GIFs give you the opportunity to provide a visually dynamic element and include text for greater enhancement. So if you’re going to use a pull quote, it might be an opportunity to stand out from the crowd by incorporating yours into a GIF image.

How effective has your use of pull quotes been? Have you learned anything that might help the Creatively Corporate community better use this tool? Let us know in the Comment section below.

Join My Email List
How’s this for a meaningful quote: “Thou shalt sign up for yonder Creatively Corporate email list”? Just fill out the form on the right of the page and enjoy great content once a we